Joel Stewart

In retaining legal counsel, each client looks for the attorney who has the credentials, resources, credibility and, above all else, the experience to represent them. That experience—in the law, in handling a matter, and in representing the industry—is what clients value most. That is what differentiates our law firm. We bring the power of experience to each representation. When considering the engagement of a lawyer in our Firm, you will receive the power of more than 130 attorneys with the experience to represent you in a wide range of matters. We offer comprehensive legal services to the markets we serve and approach each engagement with enthusiasm and a focus on service.

We work through client and industry teams. Those teams focus on the needs of the clients and the industries in which they operate. The Firm organizes around industry and client teams staffed with lawyers who work within specific industries or work with specific clients. Those lawyers track legislation, watch market competition, and monitor legal and regulatory issues and trends.

Industry Teams

Industry Teams are comprised of those attorneys providing services across practice groups to multiple clients in a specific industry. In addition, within the Firm there are industry or specialty practice groups that may or may not include active client relationships but whose primary purpose is to follow industry trends and anticipate the needs of clients in those industries.

Client Service Teams

Client Service Teams are those combinations of 2 or more attorneys operating through 2 or more practice groups to meet the needs of a specific client, and whose clients have needs across multiple practices. Industry and Client Service Team Benefits for Clients The industry teams in the Firm have a number of benefits to clients. The entire focus of the program is to provide a higher level of service to existing clients in that industry that will translate into: 1) more satisfied clients; 2) developing best practices for that industry within the Firm; 3) reducing costs of service delivery; and 4) adding more value to the services we provide to clients.

The benefits of an industry and client service teams to our clients include:

1. Having a team of lawyers more familiar with all aspects of the client's business

2. Being more responsive to client requests for services by anticipating changes in the industry

3. Providing resources to the client such as extranet access to industry information

4. Promoting workshops to explore industry needs and setting mutual goals to provide more targeted services in more efficient ways

5. Surveying the industry leaders to determine their legal needs and concerns and designing solutions that make the Firm 'easier to do business with'

7. Delivering more targeted information on the industries to help the client stay informed on issues that may impact their meeting strategic business objectives.

Immigration

The Immigration team provides a full range of visas and permanent residence filings, including employment and family-sponsored petitions. This practice also offers immigration compliance/I-9 assistance, as well as deportation defense work. The Immigration team represents entrepreneurs, businesses, non-profit organizations, health-care facilities, universities, individual clients, and foreign investors. Lawyers in this practice regularly serve various industries, including banking and financial services, construction and real estate, health care, non-profits, sports and entertainment, technology and e-commerce, and transportation and logistics. The Immigration team works closely with the Employment practice, keeping its focus on visas and permanent residence filings that impact foreign workers.

BIO

Joel Stewart practices exclusively in the area of immigration law. He specialized in Romance and Slavic Linguistics before receiving a J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law, and is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, French, and Russian. He is Past President of the South Florida Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and is a nationally recognized authority on employment-based immigration matters as well as a popular speaker at immigration seminars for national and local bar associations throughout the United States.